Read About Spain

We stayed in Andalusia, Spain for two months. The first five weeks were spent in farmlands near the town of Jimena de la Frontera, about 25 miles north of the coastal city of Algeciras. The last three weeks were spent in the town of Vejer de la Frontera, about 30 miles east of the coastal city of Cadiz.

It was December and January, so the nights were cold and the days were brisk, with frequent t-shirt weather during the afternoon. It was not the tourist season, so we avoided that angst.

Spain is relaxed. The people are reserved and slow to warm, but they do warm as you become more familiar to them. The cost is affordable. There is much to see, and the countryside is beautiful. It is quiet, and things move at a slow pace – save for cars and motorcycles, which are driven at an excessively fast pace.

Spain, particularly the rural area near Jimena, is pretty close to being our our ideal place.

The town is another of those Spanish hilltop villages of white buildings and castle ruins. The outline of the buildings is broken by television antennas, and the white is broken by clothing hung out to dry from windows and on rooftops. The narrow lanes are patrolled by a few dogs, who leave droppings on the cobblestones. The town’s rhythm is […]

For the past five weeks, we have rented a small house in rural Andalusia. The closest neighbors are out of sight and hearing. The closest village is San Pablo de Buceite, about three-quarters of a mile away. The closest town is Jimena de la Frontera, about five miles away. The closest city is Algeciras, about twenty-five miles away. The […]

La Bodeguita is a small bar on Marques de Tamaron. It’s somewhat the standard Spanish town bar, in that it has a small and wood-heavy interior, and a few outside tables. Yet, there is something different about this bar that keeps bringing us back. Perhaps it’s the reliable and free wi-fi Internet access, which is a rarity in Vejer. […]